The Opelousas courier., 1887-04-02
A NOBLE REVENGE.

A NUBIE hi VENGE.
Anywhere else she would have been
called Maud, but Smoketon people were
too busy making money to pay proper
attention to diphthongs, SO by them she
was simply called ''Mod."
Mods surname was Bangs, the vowel
OF which was unduly prolonged by the
Smoketonians, as her diphthong was un-
justly shortened. There was nothing
visibly heroic about Mod. She was the
eldest daughter Of a Smoketon opera
tive, teaching in one of the Smoke
ton public schools. She was small and
slender, awkward in person and move
ments, with q p~rotruding forehead, life
Restocking sandy hair, and small, dull,
INEXPENSIVE eyes.
Stephen Dare was not a bad fellow,
especially in his own opinion. He was
. handsome young giant, with a frank,
merry face, usually obscured by a cloud
2 OF SCOT; for Stephen, though only TWEEN
ty-fve years old, was a ''boss" at
Browns mill, the largest nail mill in
smoketon. He was well of, too very
wealthy for a place whose richest men
only counted by tens Of thousands; so
i is not wonderful, perhaps, that he was
much petted and spoiled by the Smoke
ton lasses.
The Eleventh Ward school house was
on Stephens direct way home from
work, and as Mod always remained
there until six o'clock to study, Stephen
had got in the habit Of calling for her;
and thence, one September afternoon
they were walking home together, when
they first met Myra Tracy.
by jinksi amt she a daisy?" ex-
claimed Stephen, recovering his breath
and his Smoketon vernacular when the
vision was gone. f'She's awfu,ly swell,
bub1n bet you've got as much money,
every time. Look here, Mod, don't
tell anybody, but / wouldn't mind mar
rying that girlp
Whether she'd have you or not, I
suppose2s
Have mel She'd be lucky to get
me poor as a church mouse. She'd
jump at me, I knowr' o
Stephen was more in earnest than
Mod supposed.
TtEFas a difficult matter to get an in
PRODUCTION to Miss Tracy, and when he
asked permission to call, the girl had
not, as she said afterward, sufficient
presence of mind to refuse. Myra, in
decd, was profoundly amused at herself
and scarcely less so at Stephen. The
handsome illiterate young giant was a
new type to the highbred, cultured"
Philadelphian; and, though she con-
sidercd flirting a very unladylike pro-
ceeding, her csthetic interest was sufi-
visible to. afford Stephen all the
encouragement he needed. When
Stephen, at last, asked Myra to be his
wife, and was rejected with q naughty
surprise which she could aot quite con-
ceal, 1t was Mod who wall the least al
tonished. Stephen believed he under
stood the whole matter perfectly, for it
was in fact, the presence of Champ
Preston Id smoketon which had hurried
him on to i declaration.
"a long. Lazy tow-headed fool,a
was his terse description Of the all-con-
Champ whose soft voice,
handsome face, languld Gle
ganee Of manner, not to speak Of his at
fractions in the way Of stocks, bonds
md landed property, had for several
seasons made him tho hon Of Eastern
society. he had been abroad at tho
lime Of Mi. Tracy,s death.
Immediately upon bis return he fol-
owsd Myra to Smoketon, where, be
:oolly informed her, it was his intention
d bivoiaac with the aboriginee until she
ready 10 be married and return with :
to civilization. :
Myra readily allowed herself to- be :
persuaded. Enoketon wac more dis !
asteful % her Than ever since Stephen :
lad takcn bis dismissal Ii such vehc-
bad part.
The wedding day arrived at
Asta waFin February morning, i
vita rain. Indeed II had .
AIMED for two days over all The sur- i
ounding country. The river was sinu
asaAly high. and chic smokst7n Trumpet /
|Rd already warned its readers to ex
hot i food. i
Meg haa reason e fear that Stephan
atcnaea seae alne injury ID hiy snc- q
sssfnl Fizal: sse knew hs had bought